Podcast Of The Week: GZA Dropping (Star) Science

I was pretty moved by getting a bunch of messages from people over sharing a GZA reference the other day. It reminded me of this old StarTalk podcast episode where Neil DeGrasse Tyson talks to GZA.  It’s delightfully nerdy. With plenty of Wu, and the always amusing commentary of Tyson, Chuck Nice’s comedic angle, and … Continue reading Podcast Of The Week: GZA Dropping (Star) Science

Podcast Of The Week: Godin And Koppelman (The Marketing Of Climate Change)

Seth Godin is back on Brian Koppelman’s The Moment podcast. I love that they’re friends and record these conversations for us to hear. While some of you will get very hyped up about what Godin’s latest book is about, some others amongst you will probably be hyped up against it. Listen with the intent of … Continue reading Podcast Of The Week: Godin And Koppelman (The Marketing Of Climate Change)

Want To Be Smarter? Find The Correct Cause For Your Effect.

Andrew Lo (MIT business/finance prof) says, “Intelligence is the ability to generate accurate cause and effect descriptions of reality.”  If you’re smart, you can find cause-and-effect relationships and use them to some advantage.  You might do it for yourself, your clients, or the world writ large.  However, if you’re dumb, you chase activities that don’t … Continue reading Want To Be Smarter? Find The Correct Cause For Your Effect.

You’re Not Skillful Until You Know When You’re Lucky

Claude C Hopkins, the godfather of modern marketing whose 1923 book Scientific Advertising is still (shockingly?!) relevant, thought all advertisers should do some form of direct mail advertising first to learn how to fail. Not because they broadly needed to be humbled, but because they needed to be aware of the numbers game that was … Continue reading You’re Not Skillful Until You Know When You’re Lucky

(The Power Of) I’ll Have To Get Back To You

Sometimes someone says something so crazy to you, the best response is a simple, “I’ll have to get back to you.” Next time your patience is being tried, or also if someone says they’ll “have to get back to you,”reflect with this: https://twitter.com/forbes/status/1402388019420741633?s=21 If you can’t see the video, one government official is asking another, … Continue reading (The Power Of) I’ll Have To Get Back To You

Scientific Thinking Isn’t About Being Certain

It’s a pet peeve of mine, ok? I get upset when people think science is all about certainty. Science isn’t about certainty. Science is about living with uncertainty and still making progress. It’s about mistakes, experiments, and learning. Thinking like a scientist, in life and with our careers, isn’t a bad approach, it’s the approach … Continue reading Scientific Thinking Isn’t About Being Certain